"I had a dream... In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule... But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground... The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy... I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest... Yes, I thought you might be the one... Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself! I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule."

— Princess Zelda

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, best known simply as Princess Zelda (ゼルダ姫,Zeruda-hime?, ) is the name for several female Hylians, usually members of the Royal Family of Hyrule, who often play an integral role in the series. Though each is the titular character of the Legend of Zelda series, the actual protagonist is each era's respective Link.

Personality

Since most of the Zeldas that appear in the games are different incarnations, they each have slightly differing personalities. However, each Zelda is depicted as a kind and benevolent person.

As the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, she is wise beyond her years and intelligent enough to rule her people. She always wishes to do what is right for others and is extremely self-sacrificing. Though not always capable of defending herself or others on her own, she does not quit and tries to aid allies when she needs their help. She is also forgiving towards former enemies even when they have harmed her in someway. She is however, extremely loyal towards the ones she cares for (such as Link) and does not tolerate them getting harmed.

Certain incarnations, like the Zelda of Skyloft and Tetra, are shown to have a slightly playful personality and more casual attitude. However, this is likely due to the fact that neither was raised to be royalty from birth unlike most incarnations of Princess Zelda. The Zelda of Skyloft was indeed born a commoner and Tetra is the child of a pirate. Additionally, at least two incarnations are known to have tomboyish qualities, such as Tetra and the Zelda from Ocarina of Time.

She often wears jewelry such as ornate earrings (which in some games feature a Triforce design), as well as a royal gown of white, pink, lavender, or another pale color (red in The Adventure of Link), usually bearing the Royal Family's crest. Zelda has also been depicted in casual attire, such as in Skyward Sword, or in a blue shirt with Hylian embroideries as the Champions commander in Breath of the Wild.

Abilities

Associated with the GoddessNayru and the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda possesses keen insight and good judgment—although this does not always avail her in eschewing capture. Most of Zelda's incarnations are additionally gifted with innate psychic or magical potencies, such as telepathy and precognition. Albeit her gamut of abilities has yet to be revealed, Zelda has demonstrated the ability to cast spells, engender or annul barriers and seals, and shoot a bow. The source of most of these natural mystical powers could be explained by the presence of the Light Force, a power that is passed down through the Royal Family of Hyrule for generations. However Breath of the Wild implies the various incarnations of the Princess are descended from Hylia presumably through the Spirit Maiden from Skyward Sword indicating some of her powers may be divine in nature specifically her sealing powers and ability to communicate with spirits though these latent abilities must be awoken through ritual and devotion to Hylia according to legend though the Zelda of Breath of the Wild struggles despite years of dedicated training and only awakens them through selflessly trying to protect Link.

In The Wind Waker, Tetra (as Princess Zelda) briefly wields the Master Sword that had been dropped by Link, making her one of the few people besides Link to be shown wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane. Her ability to wield it proves that Tetra (despite being a pirate) possesses a heart untainted by evil, as it has often been stated that evil beings are incapable of touching and or wielding it. However as she wields it only briefly before returning it to Link, it is unknown if Tetra could wield it as effectively as the various incarnations of the Hero. Being a pirate, Tetra is implied to possess some sword fighting skills and carries a short dagger-like blade, which she is shown wielding in promotional artwork. In the spin-off Hyrule Warriors series, she wields cutlasses (along with magically infused pistols) and is even capable of performing the Spin Attack.

In Twilight Princess, Zelda wields a rapier-like sword, though it is unknown if she authentically possesses any fencing skills as she is never shown actually attacking with it (Possessed Zelda does wield the sword, however since she was Ganondorf's puppet body, it was likely his fencing skills and not Zelda's). The Hyrule Warriors incarnation of Princess Zelda is shown to be a capable and graceful fencer who wields magical lightweight Rapiers that she can transform into a Bow of Light.

Zelda's alter egos appear to have specialized abilities of their own. In Skyward Sword, it is implied that Zelda and her subsequent incarnations' abilities may be due to her connection to the Goddess Hylia and are potentially divine in nature. In Breath of the Wild, both Kass and Impa refer to the Princess of Hyrule as possessing the blood of the Goddess in their retelling of the legend of Calamity Ganon's defeat ten thousands years ago. Unlike other incarnations, the Breath of the Wild incarnation of Zelda initially has trouble awakening her powers, and as a result develops an interest in science and ancient technology. In Link's memories she is shown using the Sheikah Slate which Link uses 100 years later. She is familiar with Gerudo Town law and uses it to her advantage to allude Link's protection detail as Link a man could not accompany Zelda into Gerudo Town a fact Zelda used to her advantage. However her privileged upbringing means she apparently lacks Link's level of physical fitness and was easily cornered by three Yiga Clan Footsoldiers despite running as fast as she could. Zelda is well read and capable researcher though as shown in one of Link's memories when she fails to realize a Hot-Footed Frog has to be cooked into a Hasty Elixir enhance the consumer's physical abilities due to her excitement over catching one and enthusiasm to study its effects using Link as a test subject due to his high level of physical fitness causing her to try and humorously force Link to consume the uncooked frog despite his visible disgust. However her expertise in studying ancient technology is enough that she can calibrate Divine Beasts and understand their functions and inner workings with Divine Beasts being her primary focus along with the Sheikah Slate. She also realized the significance of the Shrine of Resurrection and ensured it was restored to working order upon discovering it was a medical facility recognizing Ganon must be formidable to necessitate such a facility. Zelda also possess precognition like her previous incarnations as she felt something horrible would happen before the Great Calamity and recognized the increased monster activity was a sign of Ganon's return. She also has some medical knowledge such as the medical applications of various flower species in Hyrule and first aid as she treated Link's minor injuries he received fight monsters in Eldin Canyon. She also apparently has an interest in growing endangered flower species such as Silent Princess which despite her and other people's efforts have failed to grow domestically. Zelda is also shown to be a capable horseback rider who has her own Royal White Stallion. Her concept artwork even depicts her wielding a riding crop. However she requires advice from Link to improve her relationship with her horse as while she is a capable rider she apparently failed to consider its feelings until Link advised her how to soothe her horse and inspired Zelda to empathize with her horse improving their relationship. After awakening her powers, Zelda is shown to be strong enough to seal both herself and Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle for 100 years. She also recognized Link would likely lose his memories from the untested Slumber of Restoration thus took steps to help him recover his memories through pictures she left on the Sheikah Slate and a final picture kept by Impa. Interestingly, in both Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild, Zelda does not age while sealed by her own powers. Yet, in the latter, she appears fully conscious of the outside world while in stasis, likely having the same perception of time as Link. Due to her aging being halted she remains physically seventeen despite being approximately 117 years old as she turned seventeen around the time the Great Calamity began and she kept Ganon sealed for approximately a hundred years making her the oldest known living incarnation of Zelda due to not aging at all for a century.

Like Link, several of Zelda's various incarnations are shown to be talented musicians. At least three of incarnations are known to be harp-players (Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, and Hyrule Warriors). She also shows a talent for playing wind-based instruments such as an ocarina and a pan flute. She is also been shown to have a talent for singing as well.

The Zelda from Hyrule Warriors is also shown to be a talented conductor who can wield various Batons, including the legendary Wind Waker. Her ability to wield the Wind Waker is considerably better than Link's, as she can manipulate the wind to lift her off the ground as a form of levitation. In addition to her Batons and Rapiers, Zelda can also wield Dominion Rods that allow her to command and control Hammer Guardians and Owl Statues.

Though she is never actually shown using them in core Zelda games, she can use the spells Nayru's Love, Farore's Wind, and Din's Fire in the spin-off Hyrule Warriors game and the non-canon Super Smash Bros. series. Additionally Zelda is also a capable military commander in Hyrule Warriors and can manipulate light-based magic energy to create balls of light or a triangular field of light that causes light energy to erupt from the ground.

Appearances

Zelda has appeared in nearly all Legend of Zelda games with varying degrees of significance. The only exception to date has been The Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningandThe Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. It should be noted however, that she is briefly referenced in Link's Awakening, but does not make an actual appearance. According to The Adventure of Link, all princesses in Hyrule have been called Zelda since the first Princess Zelda. This would however, according to the Hyrule Historia, only extend to the Zelda in the original game as the other incarnations of Zelda are chronologically from before the tragedy.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in The Legend of Zelda is chronologically the fourth known Zelda in the Fallen Hero Timeline.

Zelda is kidnapped by Ganon, who imprisons her in his lair on Death Mountain. Before she was kidnapped, she shattered the Triforce of Wisdom into eight shards and scattered them throughout Hyrule to hide them from Ganon and prevent him from gaining its power. She then sent her nursemaid Impa in search of a hero that could reassemble the Triforce of Wisdom, be powerful enough to defeat Ganon, and rescue her. Zelda is not actually seen in this game until after Ganon is defeated.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in The Adventure of Link is chronologically the second known Zelda in the Fallen Hero Timeline.

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda plays on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. The Zelda in this game is not the one from the first game, but rather her distant ancestor. The whereabouts of the Zelda from the first game are unknown. Long ago, the power of the Triforce had belonged to one man alone, a great King of Hyrule; however, before his death, he divided the artifact and concealed the part called the Triforce of Courage; the heir to the throne could inherit only the rest.

Before his death, the King had imparted a secret to his daughter, Princess Zelda; with the Magician later finding out about it. The Magician then reported it to the Prince, who was looking for the Triforce of Courage, it being the only piece he did not possess. Thinking the secret to be the location for the Triforce Piece, the Prince ruthlessly asked about it to his sister.

The Princess responded by refusing to reveal it, even when her brother and the Magician threatened her. In his anger, the Magician put a powerful curse on the Princess, despite the objections of the new King. The exertions caused the Magician himself to drop dead after casting the spell, so he could not be induced to undo it. Devastated, the grieving brother had his sister locked in a tower of the North Castle, and decreed that every female born into the royal family would thereafter be named Zelda, in memory of the tragedy.

Several years passed, with Zelda remaining the same because of the curse. Link, who had become sixteen, learned of this tragedy and sets off on a journey to reclaim the lost section of the Triforce to lift the curse. Once Link gains the full Triforce, he goes back to the palace where Zelda resides in and disperses the curse. Now free from the curse, Zelda thanks Link and calls him a "real hero" for saving Hyrule. The curtains then fall as Link and Zelda appear to embrace each other.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages is chronologically the first Zelda in the Fallen Hero Timeline.

Princess Zelda is one of the Seven Maidens descended from the sages who sealed Ganon away during the Imprisoning War. At the beginning of the game, she is imprisoned in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle by Agahnim, who plans on sacrificing her along with the other six maidens so as to break the seal between the Light and Dark World. This would free Agahnim's alter ego, Ganon, from the Dark World and allow him to wreak havoc on Hyrule. Zelda telepathically calls for help, contacting both Link's Uncle and Link in their house.

Link rescues Zelda and takes her into the Sanctuary, where she remains under the protection of the Loyal Sage for part of the game. After Link retrieves the Master Sword from the Lost Woods, Zelda is kidnapped by Agahnim's henchmen and sent to the Dark World in his final ritual, breaking the seal. She is not seen again until she is rescued by Link from Turtle Rock. Saving her and the other six maidens opens the entrance to Ganon's Tower, the final dungeon of the game. Zelda is last seen together with her revived father in the end credits sequence. It is hinted in the Oracle games and A Link Between Worlds that this Zelda became intimate with Link later on.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, Zelda in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask is chronologically the fourth Zelda in the Unified Timeline and the first Zelda (through Link's flashback) in the Child Timeline. She is also technically the one responsible for the timeline split. Zelda is rumored to be a tomboy by the Gossip Stone.

Zelda is the daughter of the King of Hyrule, and eventually the Seventh Sage and the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. She is also the leader of the Sages. The heir to the Royal Family, Zelda is of the Hylian race with blonde hair and blue eyes. She begins the game as a young girl about 10-12 years old, who is gifted with psychic abilities. In a dream of symbolic importance, she senses Ganondorf's treachery and predicts Link's arrival before either occurs. When Link meets her for the first time in Hyrule Castle's courtyard, she sends him on a quest to collect the three Spiritual Stones and protect the Triforce from Ganondorf. When Ganondorf attacks Hyrule Castle, Zelda and her nursemaid, Impa, flee the castle on horseback.

The Princess throws the Ocarina of Time into the moat in front of Hyrule Castle Town for Link to retrieve; as he touches it, Zelda appears before him in a vision and teaches him the "Song of Time", the final key to the Sacred Realm. Ironically, since the final barrier in the Sacred Realm could only be broken by the chosen Hero of Time, had Zelda not attempted to retrieve Triforce before Ganondorf, the timeline split and tragedies of the Adult Timeline could have been avoided.

When Link awakens from his seven-year slumber in the Sacred Realm, he encounters Zelda, disguised as a young man of about Link's age named Sheik, who claims to be a survivor of the Sheikah Tribe. Thereafter, Sheik gives Link clues to the locations of the various temples, and teaches him special songs enabling him to warp to specific points near these temples.

After the final temple guardian is conquered, Zelda risks her life by revealing her identity and disclosing her position as the Seventh Sage. She informs Link that both of them hold pieces of the Triforce and gives him the Light Arrows, but moments later is captured by Ganondorf and imprisoned in a pink crystal in his castle. Following Ganondorf's defeat, she is freed and assists Link in his escape from the collapsing fortress. During the final battle, once Link has significantly weakened Ganon, Zelda intervenes using her magic. She and the other sages seal Ganon away without taking away his Triforce piece.

After Hyrule is saved, Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to the past, allowing him to regain his lost seven years. This would however, turn out to be a mistake (like most of her other actions) as Link later lived a regretful life and became the Hero's Shade due Zelda's actions. He does however (as the Hero's Shade), help train his descendant (the Link in Twilight Princess) as well as move on after easing his regrets.

When Link retrieves the Ocarina of Time from the Skull Kid, he is overcome with memories about his departure from Hyrule. In a flashback, the young Princess Zelda from Ocarina of Time is seen saying her goodbyes to Link; she gives him the Ocarina of Time to help him on his journey, and teaches him the "Song of Time" again, which becomes vital to his quest. Zelda makes no further appearances.

This Zelda is stated to be the same Zelda from A Link to the Past as written in the Hyrule Historia. Impa tells Link she has been sent by Zelda to guard Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and to escort them back to Hyrule. Zelda herself only appears in the Linked Game by linking both counterparts. She is briefly captured, either by the Great Moblin or Vire depending on which counterpart is played, but Link rescues her. She then stays safely with Impa for a while. Towards the end of the story, she becomes upset at seeing the citizenry distraught over the evil powers pervading the land and speaks to them encouragingly to not give up hope. While she is out and about, Twinrova kidnaps her in a plan to revive Ganon, attempting to sacrifice her in order to light the Flame of Despair. Link saves her by defeating Twinrova, who sacrifice their own bodies instead of Zelda's. After Link defeats the mindless Ganon, Zelda kisses him on the cheek in gratitude. The seemingly surprised and genuinely flustered Link swoons while hearts float above the pair's heads, and Zelda looks away, blushing.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in Four Swords is chronologically the third Zelda in the Unified Timeline.

In the beginning of the game, Zelda goes to the Sanctuary of the Four Sword with her childhood friend, Link, to check on the seal containing the Wind Mage, Vaati. The seal has weakened, however, and Vaati emerges and kidnaps Zelda in order to make her his bride. The four Links eventually save Zelda and seal Vaati away again.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, Tetra (as Zelda) is chronologically the first Zelda in the Adult Timeline.

Near the beginning of The Wind Waker, Link saves a young pirate girl named Tetra after the Helmaroc King drops her into the nearby forest on Outset Island. After the bird kidnaps Link's sister Aryll, Tetra and her pirates bring Link to the Forsaken Fortress to rescue her. During the race for Nayru's Pearl, Link runs into Tetra at Windfall Island, where he steals the bombs from her pirate ship. Tetra allows Link until morning before she comes after him and Jabun. Link meets Tetra one last time, at the Forsaken Fortress, where she saves his sister and warns him of the Helmaroc King. She then attempts to save Link during his confrontation with Ganondorf. Her blows are easily deflected and Ganondorf strikes back, grabbing Tetra by the neck. Before he can do anything to her, his Triforce resonates, showing him that he has finally found Princess Zelda, with Tetra confused by Ganondorf's words.

At that moment, the RitosQuill and Prince Komali fly through the open windows, grab Link and Tetra, and fly off. Link then takes Tetra to ancient Hyrule beneath the Great Sea, where the King, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, reveals that she is the last descendant of the Royal Family. She then receives the other half of the Triforce of Wisdom, revealing her true identity as Princess Zelda. She hides in Hyrule while Link embarks on another mission. Once Link completes this mission, Zelda is kidnapped by Ganondorf, who takes her to his tower. Link storms the castle, defeats Puppet Ganon, and faces off against Ganondorf in a final battle. Zelda aids Link during the battle by shooting Light Arrows at their foe. After defeating Ganondorf, Link and Zelda, once again in the form of Tetra, return to the Great Sea and embark on a new adventure together, searching for a land to call their own.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in Four Swords Adventure is chronologically the third Zelda in the Child Timeline.

Worried about the seal on Vaati, Zelda goes with six other mystical maidens to check on the Sanctuary of the Four Sword, and Link accompanies her. Something goes horribly wrong, however, and a dark shadowy Link attacks them. Link is forced to draw the Four Sword to fight Shadow Link, and Vaati escapes. The girls are abducted, and the Links come to their rescue. Zelda helps them defeat Shadow Link, and after Vaati is dispatched, the five quickly flee the collapsing Tower of Winds. Finally, the Links face Ganon, who is behind the catastrophe, and Zelda helps them deliver the final blow.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in The Minish Cap is chronologically the second Zelda in the Unified Timeline.

Princess Zelda is the daughter of King Daltus of Hyrule. Prior to the events of the game, she and Link attended Funday School.

At the story's start, she takes Link, whom she has been childhood friends with since they were infants, to the Picori Festival in Hyrule Town. During the ceremony following the Picori Festival Tournament, she is turned into stone by the winner, Vaati. Vaati is an evil mage searching for a legendary Light Force, and knowing Zelda has mystical powers of her own, he wants to keep her out of the way. Later, discovering that her power is, in fact, the Light Force, Vaati invades Hyrule Castle and abducts the petrified Princess, planning to sacrifice her and become a god. Link, after reforging the Four Sword, attacks the castle and faces off against Vaati. Upon defeating the evil mage, Link uses the power of the Four Sword to restore Zelda, who tells Link she had seen him on his adventure as if through a dream, to normal. Zelda then uses the power of the Magic Cap and Light Force to return Hyrule to its natural state. The overflowing power of life causes the Minish Cap to break apart. Ezlo then states that Zelda's kindness as well as the power of the Minish Cap (or Light Force, in the Japanese version of the game) created a miracle. With the time to part nearing, Zelda and Link see Ezlo off as he returns to the Minish World.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in Twilight Princess is chronologically the second Zelda in the Child Timeline.

Zelda was the young matriarch of Hyrule until its invasion by Zant, the Twilight King, to whom she surrendered in order to prevent the death of her people. Subsequently, she is imprisoned inside a tower in Hyrule Castle, although unlike her people, she does not become a spirit under the influence of the Twilight (possibly due to her implied possession of the Triforce of Wisdom). It is here that she meets Link, transformed into a wolf by the Twilight's power, though their conversation is cut short due to the arrival of her guard.

When Link goes back to the castle, she expends all of her power, even losing her physical form, in order to save a dying Midna. She regains her body later only to become possessed by Ganondorf, but his influence is purged from her body by Midna with the power of the Fused Shadows. Ganondorf makes another attempt on Zelda's life soon after, but she is protected by the Light Spirits of Hyrule, who grant her the magical Light Arrows so she can assist Link in part of his final battle. With the battle won and Midna revived, Zelda and Link bid her goodbye at the Mirror of Twilight.

It is possible that Link actually went to Hyrule Castle to meet Zelda again as hinted during the ending scene where Link left Ordon village and the Castle was shown again. This is also the only game where she appears as a brunette, instead of a blonde. Unlike other games, Zelda's interaction with Link was rather limited in Twilight Princess.

According to Zelda's card in the official Twilight Princess trading card deck, she was going to become Queen of Hyrule. Zant's invasion came a few days before her scheduled coronation, thus preventing it from taking place. The game manual for the non-canonical Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which uses Zelda in her Twilight Princess form, does refer to her as the Queen of Hyrule—implying that once Link lifted the Twilight, the coronation took place as planned.

While Princess Zelda does not make a physical appearance in her normal look, she is seen as Tetra with her original name and appearance. Zelda is also shown with her classic princess appearance in the prologue. Somewhat to tease her, the pirates occasionally call Tetra "Princess Zelda", much to her annoyance.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in Spirit Tracks is chronologically the second Zelda in the Adult Timeline.

As revealed in the storyline, Tetra and Link (of Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass) eventually founded New Hyrule and befriended the Lokomo guardian of the Tower of Spirits, Anjean. The Zelda of Spirit Tracks, the princess of New Hyrule, is the granddaughter of Tetra. This marks the first time a Zelda has been playable in a main series title.

When awarding Link with the title of Royal Engineer during his Graduation Ceremony, Zelda slips him a note, warning him of the suspicious Chancellor Cole and instructing Link to take a hidden path and meet her in secret. Zelda requests Link's aid in investigating the mystery of the vanishing Spirit Tracks, which entails Link helping her sneak out of the castle. She then presents Link with a change of clothing, the Recruit Uniform, which will help Link blend in with the similarly dressed guards as they escape the castle. Upon exiting the castle, Link and Zelda enlist the aid of Alfonzo, Link's Master Engineer and mentor, to take them towards the Tower of Spirits. However, the tracks begin to vanish out from underneath their train before they witness the tower's levels being separated and then are stopped in their tracks by Chancellor Cole and Byrne. Byrne easily defeats Link and Alfonzo while Cole uses his magic to force Zelda's spirit out of her body.

With only Link able to see her, Zelda helps him obtain a sword before the two make their way Tower of Spirits. There, Anjean tells the duo that Zelda's body contains a sacred power and that Cole took it in order to serve as a vessel for the Demon King, Malladus. Learning that she can inhabit Phantoms to aid Link, Zelda proceeds to help him restore the tracks and the Tower of Spirits to its former glory.

However, Cole releases his master before Link and Zelda could stop him. No longer in imprisonment, Malladus possesses Zelda's body, seeking to wreak havoc across New Hyrule and beyond. Using a specially made Phantom, Zelda aids Link in defeating Cole and forcing Malladus out of her body. With Byrne holding Malladus off, Zelda swiftly returns to her body, much to her joy. Immediately though, Byrne is defeated by Malladus, with the Demon King proceeding to use Cole's body as a new vessel. Having little time to spare, Link and Zelda perform a duet using the Spirit Flute and Zelda's sacred powers, with the Lokomo's joining in. Their combined powers significantly weaken Malladus, allowing Link and Zelda to finish him off. Soon after, Zelda joins Link in saying their farewells to the Lokomo, where they learn that Byrne will be reborn, though without the memories of past events. Afterwards, the ending credits show Zelda and Link back to New Hyrule castle, much to everyone's relief.

As written in the Hyrule Historia, the Zelda in Skyward Sword is chronologically the first Zelda in the Unified Timeline.

Unlike in earlier installments, Zelda does not bear the title of princess. She resides in Skyloft, where she attends the same boarding school as Link and rides a blue Loftwing. A childhood friend of Link and the object of affection of Link's rival Groose, Zelda has been confirmed to be Link's love interest throughout the game. Zelda is very cheerful around Link and rather nervous when alone with him, even bashfully asking him to fly around the sky together, like a date. Link also reciprocates these feelings. Toward the beginning of the game, she is swept off of her Loftwing by a tornado that Ghirahim created. Before she is captured, however, Zelda is snatched up by Impa and undergoes a journey to be purified in the springs of the Skyview Temple and the Earth Temple. Zelda is eventually brought to the Temple of Time where she manages to give the Goddess's Harp to Link before she and Impa enter a Gate of Time to evade Ghirahim.

After Link finds a second Gate of Time and goes to the past, he meets up with Zelda there. It is then revealed that Zelda is the reincarnation of Hylia. She also confesses to manipulating Link's feelings for her (as Hylia) so that he could fulfill his destiny, a deed for which she is very remorseful. In order to maintain Demise's imprisonment, Zelda seals herself. While doing so, Zelda asks Link for him to wake her up when his mission is complete.

Once Link wishes for the destruction of Demise with the Triforce, Zelda is freed, and she happily reunites with the hero. Her reunion with Link, Groose, and the Old Woman is cut short however, when Ghirahim abducts her. He then takes Zelda through the remaining Gate of Time to resurrect Demise in the past, which he means to accomplish by performing a ritual on Zelda that will allow the Imprisoned to swallow her life force. Though Zelda's life force is taken by Demise, Link learns that Zelda can still be revived, provided that he act quickly. Thus, Link challenges Demise to a duel. With the Demon King accepting and setting the battle grounds to another dimension, Link and Demise face off against each other. Ultimately, Link proves victorious, allowing Zelda to be revived.

Once Link returns to his own world, Zelda is overcome with joy at seeing him again, shedding tears. Soon after, Fi asks Link to put Master Sword back in its pedestal, which would mean their parting. While understanding Link's feelings and feeling sad herself, Zelda encourages Link to do, to which he complies with. Their parting is not a sad one however, with said goodbye ending on a happy note.

Afterwards, Impa reveals to Zelda and the others of her intent to remain in the past to safeguard the Master Sword, much to Zelda's sadness. As a token of her appreciation, Zelda gives one of her armlets to the Sheikah. Impa assures Zelda that they will reunite, before watching the Hylians depart to their own time. At the Sealed Grounds' overseer of their time, Zelda, Link, and Groose are greeted by the Old Lady. Zelda notices the Old Lady's armlet, realizing that it is the one she gave to Impa. The Old Lady is then revealed to be Impa of the present, to everyone's surprise. Immediately afterwards, Impa passes on, with Zelda thanking her for everything she did for them.

Standing on the Statue of the Goddess with the Triforce, Link and Zelda watch as Groose, Cawlin, and Stretch depart back to the sky. Zelda decides to live on the Surface while asking Link what he will do. Link smiles at her while their Loftwings fly off toward the sky, implying that he chose to stay on the Surface to live with Zelda.

Zelda is the princess of Hyrule. In Link's dream, he sees Princess Zelda being snatched away by a pig-shaped creature. Later, Zelda meets up with Link and she is shocked to hear the news about the latest events. She fears that the evil of the past has re-awakened and sends Link to go to Kakariko Village to see Sahasrahla. Before he leaves she gives him a special charm. Yuga later turns Zelda into a portrait and takes her to Lorule. He then uses her portrait and those of the Seven Sages to revive Ganon. After Link rescues all the sages, Zelda grants Link the Light Arrows needed to defeat Yuga, now fused with Ganon. After the fight, Zelda tells Princess Hilda that she wished it did not have to be this way. She and Link then use Hyrule's Triforce to restore Lorule's Triforce.

In Breath of the Wild, Zelda is one of Link's companions along with Mipha, Daruk, Revali and Urbosa. She wears a blue shirt with Hylian embroideries on it, similar to Link's one and the scarves worn by the four allies. They were all members of the Champions, a group of protectors of Hyrule and the ancient relics, created by her father King Rhoam and commanded by Zelda herself.

After Zelda was born, her parents named her Zelda in accordance with royal tradition and her mother would eventually take the infant Zelda to Gerudo Town to introduce her daughter to her close friend Gerudo Chieftain Urbosa. For the first six years of her life Zelda was raised by both parents and apparently had a happy childhood for a time. Her mother encouraged Zelda she could do anything and told her about the latent power she inherited from her grandmother whom is implied to have been a previous Zelda indicating her mother was not of royal blood.
When Zelda was six years old, her mother died, changing her life and putting her under the protection of her father exclusively thereafter. Unfortunately her mother's death robbed her of her mother's unconditional support and prevented the Queen from acting as Zelda's teacher as she was apparently knowledgeable about Zelda's powers. However Zelda hide her grief as her parents had taught her to be a strong steadfast Princess which King Rhoam found inspiring though failed to see his daughter was hurting and her inability to awaken the sealing power needed to seal Calamity Ganon away, causing her great stress. Zelda struggled to awaken her powers and a year after her mother's funeral Urbosa accompanied Zelda to the Spring of Power where Zelda futilely prayed for her powers to awaken until Urbosa dragged her out of the cold water causing Zelda to break down and cry confiding her true feelings and revealing her grief and the stress she was under while Urbosa listened and consoled her. She ended up befriending Urbosa who did her best to help her. However Zelda came to believe her mother was wrong about her capabilities feeling more and more like a failure.

Zelda during a royal visit to Zora's Domain

Interested in the Divine Beasts, Guardians, and Ancient Sheikah technology, she began dedicating herself to science instead of prayer, feeling it would be a better use of her abilities though continued to train and pray though her studies served as another way to contribute to Hyrule's defense in her own way. Zelda and a team of Sheikah researchers lead by Impa's elder sister Purah worked together to understand ancient technology discovering the Sheikah Slate, Shrine of Resurrection, and a better understanding of Guardians and the Divine Beasts which Zelda recorded in her research notes. She even shared her knowledge with the Zora Royal Family concerning Vah Ruta's water pumps. She also researched other things besides ancient technology such as plants and animals that enhance physical abilities when consumed showing she enjoyed scholarly research as she found it fascinating and wasn't burdened by it unlike prayer as she had prayed fervently to Hylia numerous times with nothing to show for it despite her dedication. Zelda personally recruited the four Champions to pilot the Divine Beasts convincing all of them to join her in defending Hyrule.

When Link was appointed as Zelda's personal knight by King Rhoam after defeating a Guardian that went haywire during an experiment with a simple Pot Lid, her insecurities in regards to her inability to awaken her powers came to the surface, resulting in her lashing out at him out of jealousy due to his apparent success in fulfilling his destiny as he could already wield the Master Sword. Additionally she mistook Link's silence as a sign that he likely hated her. She grew tired of him following her around seeing him as a constant reminder of her own failure. However Link refused to follow her orders as the King assigned him to protect her which was his sworn duty as Captain of her Imperial Guard detail. Zelda even resorted to abusing Gerudo Town law to allude Link's protection detail though ended up falling asleep while calibrating Vah Naboris and Urbosa informed Link of her where abouts. Urbosa would also foil an assassinate attempt by disguised Yiga Clan members though Zelda convinced her to spare their lives. However, after Link saved Zelda's life when the Yiga Clan tried to assassinate her again near Kara Kara Bazaar, she realized that it was wrong of her to take her frustrations out on him, and befriended him thereafter. She was surprised to discover how gluttonous Link was and discovered his silence was due to his burden as chosen hero despite his skills he still had doubts but shouldered the burden of his destiny causing Zelda to see Link in an entirely new light. She came to respect and admire his dedication to his knightly training. The two bonded over the burdens they carried though Zelda became worried by Link's tendency to be reckless even noting there is a thin line between courage and recklessness.

King Rhoam initially supported Zelda's research efforts though as signs of Ganon's return increased eventually he came to believe Zelda was using her studies as an escape and was neglecting her duty as Princess of Hyrule to play scholar unaware Zelda had been training as hard as she could and was using her studies to contribute without her powers. However King Rhoam put his duty before Zelda and scolded her during a Guardian test trying to convince her that she should be focusing every waking moment to awakening her power. Zelda however insisted she already was and tried to explain herself though King Rhoam refused to hear anymore excuses and forbid her from further research. Rhoam attempted to encourage Zelda by telling her that the gossip mongers had been whispering she would inherit a Kingdom of nothing and that it was her destiny to prove them wrong. This however had the opposite effect and led to her having a sense of self loathing due to her "uselessness in the battle field" and inability to awaken her innate powers. She continued to do research such as a survey of the Shrines alongside her Sheikah court poet in secret.

Princess Zelda riding her White Stallion during one of Link's memories

Zelda vigorously continued to attempt to awaken her sealing powers, praying at the Spring of Courage and the Spring of Power for hours upon end guarded faithfully by Link. She had a dream about darkness then a beautiful woman appeared who tried to speak to Zelda but she could not hear her. The woman is implied to be Hylia though Zelda was unsure of who or what she was though believed she would have been able to hear her if her powers had awoken. However inspired by Link, Zelda held out hope she would awaken them at the Spring of Wisdom on Mount Lanayru. Unfortunately she had to wait until she her seventeenth birthday to train there as only the wise are allowed to train upon the mountain as per traditional decree. However, much to her disappointment they failed to awaken. Urbosa and her fellow Champions consoled her with Mipha trying to explain what helped her focus while using Mipha's Grace. Unfortunately Ganon returned that same day attacking Hyrule Castle. As Daruk gave a rousing speech calling his fellow Champions to get to their Divine Beasts Urbosa tried to take Zelda to safety but Zelda refused to stand by and joined them in confronting Ganon without her sealing power. Unfortunately her bad premonition came true as Ganon having learned from his previous defeat used his power to corrupt the Guardians and created the Scourges of the Divine Beasts to kill the Divine Beast pilots before taking control of them. By turning the ancient technology against Hyrule, Ganon wreaked havoc on Hyrule Castle and the surrounding area, killing her father and entrapping all of the Champions' spirits in their Divine Beasts. Out of options, she and Link fled in the rain, where upon Zelda collapsed to the ground in tears, lamenting her failure to fulfill her destiny while grieving those she had lost including her father and fellow Champions with only Link to console her. Link however continued to protect Zelda as they fled.

As they continued to flee, they were cornered in West Necluda near Fort Hateno. Link wielding the Master Sword defeated countless Guardians until both he and the sword became battle worn and exhausted. With the remaining corrupted Guardians closing in, Zelda begged Link to run and save himself. However, he refused, instead staying to try and protect Zelda. When a Guardian began to target lock onto Link, Zelda positioned herself in front of him in an act of self-sacrifice, raising her right hand up to the Guardian. In that moment, her powers awakened, and all of the Guardians in the surrounding area were shut down by a blast of magical light which purged Ganon's influence from them. After this, however, Zelda heard a thump and turned around to find Link collapsed on the ground badly injured on the verge of death. Hopeless despite her success Zelda crying besides Link in total despair. Suddenly Master Sword glows as its dormant spirit then begans to speak to Zelda, telling her that Link could still be saved, reminding Zelda of the Shrine of Resurrection. Determined to save his life, Zelda insisted that Link be taken when they were found by two Sheikah warriors and later instructed Purah and Robbie to carry Link to the ancient medical as soon as possible. The Master Sword's spirit however convinced Zelda she still had a role to play.

Zelda then took the Master Sword to the Great Deku Tree in Korok Forest, considering it a safe place for the blade to rest for the next century though noted while Link would likely lose his memories as a result of the Slumber of Restoration she was certain the blade would reunite with its "master". Zelda tried to get the tree deity to relay a message he politely refused advising her it would sound better in her voice which Zelda took as a complement before placing the sword in its pedestal. After saying her goodbye to the tree, Zelda then left and returned to Hyrule Castle, where she used her powers to seal Calamity Ganon, and herself, away for the next one hundred years. This halted her aging while she was sealed.

When Link awakens a century later, Zelda communicates with him telepathically, telling him that he is the light of Hyrule and that he must remember who he is in order to defeat Ganon. She also warns Link to be careful of the Blood Moon. Zelda had tasked Impa with guiding Link and ensured he would regain his memories of her through pictures recorded in the Sheikah Slate's Album though the data became corrupted though Purah restored it using her Guidance Stone. After recalling twelve memories using the pictures, Impa reveals there is another picture framed inside her house which had apparently been printed. The picture allows Link to recall how he became injured. Afterwards Zelda contacts him telepathically to congratulate him before reminding him that he must defeat Ganon soon as Zelda struggles to keep Ganon contained so Link can free the Divine Beasts and the spirits of their pilots. While exploring Hyrule Castle, Link finds Zelda's Diary in Princess Zelda's Room and her research notes in Princess Zelda's Study. He also finds a Castle Library Book in the Library which contains a recipe for Zelda's favorite desert Fruitcake. King Rhoam's Journal reveals his personal thoughts concerning Zelda and that he regretted how he treated her even resolving to support her research when she returned from Mount Lanayru though unfortunately he died shortly afterwards during the Great Calamity and his regrets as both a King and father apparently caused him to become a spirit who took it upon to watch over and guide Link the only person who could free Zelda who's divine power Ganon fed on to regain his power in an attempt to reincarnate.

After defeating Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle, at Windvane Meadow, Zelda aids Link in his battle with Calamity Ganon's second form, Dark Beast Ganon, gifting him with the Light Bow and giving him advice on how to defeat him. After Link hits Ganon's weak spot, Zelda herself appears, freed from her own sealing magic. She then uses her powers to seal away Ganon for good, entrapping him in an explosion of light. As she and Link reunite face-to-face for the first time in a hundred years, she asks him with a smile if he remembers her.

With Ganon sealed away, Zelda and Link then embark on a journey to try and fix Hyrule piece by piece, starting by visiting King Dorephan to give him closure over Mipha's death. Zelda remarks that she feels her powers dwindling as she cannot hear the voice of the Master Sword anymore. However, she says that she is okay with that now, and can accept the fact that her powers are going to disappear shortly. She and Link then walk towards their horses to begin their new adventure. Presumably she, Link, Paya, Impa, Purah, Robbie, Dorephan, Prince Sidon, Gerudo Chieftain Riju, Daruk's descendant Yunobo, Goron Patriarch Bludo, Teba, and Rito Elder Kaneli work together to rebuild Hyrule after Ganon's defeat. She presumably visited King Dorephan to seek his assistance in helping Zelda take the Hyrulean throne as some Hyruleans may doubt she is the 117 year old Zelda as she had not physically aged since sealing Calamity Ganon, though King Dorephan and the Zora could help Zelda prove her legitimacy along with Impa, Purah, and Robbie.

A previous incarnation of the Princess of Hyrule is mentioned by Kass and Impa in the legend of the creation of the Divine Beasts and Guardians. In this tale, the princess, her knight, and four unnamed Champions successfully utilized the ancient Sheikah technology and were able to defeat Calamity Ganon ten thousand years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild. Both the current and Princess of Hyrule from ten thousand years ago are referred to as the "Goddess-blood Princess". This is likely a reference to the suggestion the Royal Family of Hyrule is descended from Hylia's mortal reincarnation the Spirit Maiden Zelda from Skyward Sword.

Zelda in the Picture of the Champions

Additionally, it is revealed that Kass' teacher, who was a Sheikah who served as the Royal Family's court poet, once aided Princess Zelda in surveying the Shrines located throughout Hyrule. Kass's teacher had developed an unrequited love for Zelda, before coming to realize she had feelings for Link. Despite this, the poet believed Link would return and entrusted Kass with the task of guiding Link to the Shrines.[1] after freeing all four Guardians, Link learns of the Final Trial and assists Kass in completing his mentor's unfinished work, The Champions' Ballad. Afterwards, Kass gives Link the Picture of the Champions, a printed Sheikah Slate photo taken by Purah during the Champions' inauguration ceremony which had been his mentor's prized possession.

For the first time in the series, Zelda is fully voiced by the actress Patricia Summersett, who voices her with an English accent.

According to the manual, Princess Zelda is Link's "sweetheart" who is kidnapped and imprisoned by Eight Dragons wreaking havoc on mankind. Link needs to gather eight pieces of the Triforce and slay all eight dragons in order to free her.

Because of the limitations of the LCD screen, there is no elaborate ending sequence. When the eighth dragon has been defeated, Princess Zelda walks out of her prison and right up to Link (just as she does in The Adventure of Link) as if to embrace him, but the animation ends just before they meet, leaving the end result up to the player's imagination.

Princess Zelda appears in the spinoff Hyrule Warriors as a playable character. She wields Rapiers that can transform into a Bow of Light, Batons that can manipulate wind and lightning, and Dominion Rods that allow her to control Owl Statue and Hammer Guardian Statue. Her appearances from Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword will be alternate costumes available via downloadable content. Other downloadable content gives her recolors of her default look to resemble Hilda from A Link Between Worlds and her A Link to the Past incarnation artwork to unlock, a costume that makes her look like Ilia and the Dominion Rod is added as a weapon for her to use. In the Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, Princess Zelda gains a new alternate costume based on her Breath of the Wild incarnation.

In the game, she is depicted as a strong graceful warrior, a talented magic user, and a capable military commander, leading the Hyrulean Forces into battle against the enemies of Hyrule such as Cia, Wizzro, Zant, Ghirahim, and even Ganondorf. She is supported by Impa who acts as her general and military advisor. She also possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, though eventually loses it Cia while disguised as Sheik though it is later returned to her by Cia to prevent the partially revived Ganondorf from obtaining the complete Triforce. However she loses it again to the fully revived Ganondorf, though she reclaims it after Ganon's defeat.

The story begins with Zelda awakening from a recurring nightmare, which she and Impa believe to be a sign of troubled times approaching. While visiting the training barracks of Hyrule Castle, she sees a particularly talented recruit that seems to be different from the others - however, her attention is quickly directed to a massive army of monsters approaching the castle. Zelda personally leads the defense of her castle, soon joined by Impa and Link, the recruit from earlier who had just been revealed as the reincarnation of the legendary hero by his possession of the Triforce of Courage. With the battle seemingly under control, Zelda returned to Hyrule Castle to coordinate her forces, only to be ambushed by Wizzro while her army was distracted by King Dodongo.

However, Zelda managed to evade Wizzro, disguising herself as Sheik and rejoining her army. She eventually revealed herself to her allies after defeating Wizzro (who had disguised himself as Zelda) in the Water Temple of an alternate dimension's Hyrule, resuming her open leadership of the Hyrulean forces against Cia - and later, Ganondorf.

During Linkle's Tale, Princess Zelda learns the magic of the Twilight Realm threatens Hyrule and leads a small group of Hyrulean Forces to stop it while her allies prepare to defeat Hyrule's enemies. Midna however follows her and meets Linkie who shows her a mysterious crystal that restores Midna's true form. Together they team up to help Zelda who is imprisoned by dark constructs of Twili Midna and Zant created by the out of control Twilight magic. Linkie and Twili Midna free Zelda and Twili Midna shatters the crystal to seal the Twilight magic at the cost of becoming cursed once more reverting to her Imp form though she is fine with it as Hyrule and Zelda are safe. Linkie inspired by Midna and Princess Zelda's selflessness decides to continue on her journey to Hyrule Castle instead of simply joining them.

After regaining her Triforce of Wisdom from Cia, Zelda decides to go to the Temple of the Sacred Sword in order to have Link retrieve the Master Sword in order to defeat the Dark Forces and Cia. Impa reminds Zelda that the sword is required to remain in its pedestal to keep the evil one's soul under seal, but Lana reveals that the temple's barrier should keep it contained without the sword. Link manages to obtain the Master Sword and the Hyrulean Forces then confront Cia at the Temple of Souls, however the partially revived Ganondorf appears and after Cia flees, targets Princess Zelda though fortunately he is defeated by Link wielding the Master Sword. Following Cia's defeat, Link does not return the Master Sword to its pedestal and as a result the barrier containing the final piece of Ganondorf's soul breaks, fully restoring the Demon King who revives Zant and Ghirahim to serve as generals in his army, in order to claim the complete Triforce. After Ganondorf obtains the complete Triforce, Zelda leads the remaining Hyrulean Forces into Gerudo Desert to take out Ganondorf's generals. They successfully defeat the pair and after learning from Impa that Ganondorf has taken Hyrule Castle and transformed it into his tower, Zelda leads the Hyrulean Forces to the final showdown with Ganondorf and his army.

Following Ganon's defeat, she assists Link in returning the Master Sword to its Sacred Pedestal to restore the seal on Ganon's Soul. When the darkness from Ganon's soul contained in the Pedestal leaks out to prevent Link from returning the sword, Zelda helps Link push the Sword into the pedestal, sealing away Ganon once again. The two then leave the Temple of the Sacred Sword together. Linkie's decision to follow her own path proves fortunate as Linkie later comes to Impa and the Hyrulean Forces aid while Link and Zelda are busy returning the Master Sword to its pedestal. After Linkie and Impa end up saving Hyrule in Link and Zelda's absence, Link and Zelda can be seen walking in Hyrule Field towards Hyrule Castle after restoring the seal.

In addition to Hyrule Warriors incarnation of Zelda, Tetra appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors Legends (Tetra also appears in the original Hyrule Warriors via the download code that comes with Hyrule Warriors Legends). Tetra fights using Cutlass and magic-infused flintlock pistols, befitting her status as a swashbuckling pirate captain. During certain attacks, she also uses Light Arrows and can also combine the two pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom to produce a magic blast at the end of her Focus Spirit. Her use of Light Arrows and Triforce of Wisdom are based on her depiction from The Wind Waker.

In Legends and the Definitive Edition, Tetra is transported to Hyrule from the Era of the Great Sea in another dimension by a mysterious dark force that originate from her world. Link, Proxi, and the Hyrulean Forces are sent to investigate the recent warping of timespace by Impa and Zelda, as Impa convinces Zelda to remain at Hyrule Castle as Hyrule is still recovering from the battle with Ganon. Link and Proxi find Tetra defending Windfall Island from the Monster Forces lead by Boss Blin and join forces with Zelda's pirate counterpart though are unaware she is an incarnation of the Princess of Hyrule from another dimension. Boss Blin ends up driving Tetra's old adversary Helmaroc King whom Tetra despises from Forsaken Fortress causing it to attack the Hyrulean and Monster Forces while searching for a new place to roost forcing Tetra and the Hyrulean Forces to drive it away before taking on the Monster Forces and Boss Blin. However after Boss Blin is defeated Link and Proxi notice Helmaroc King kidnap Tetra once more as it had done during the Era of the Great Sea and chase after it to Gerudo Desert where the Monster Forces are guarding Gates of Souls. Lana arrives searching for Cia and Link informs her Tetra is an ally after she escapes from a sleeping Helmaroc King while it was roosting in the Arbiter's Grounds. After closing the Gates the Monster Forces join forces with Helmaroc King as it tries to retrieve Tetra but Tetra and the Hyrulean Forces defeat them. Tetra's ancestor King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule appears afterwards and reveals the entity that stole Lana's Triforce of Power is responsible for Cia's disappearance after her defeat and the recent warping of timespace. He joins forces with Tetra and the Hyrulean Forces to save Cia who has been imprisoned in the Temple of Souls. There they find her doppleganger Dark Cia draining Cia's magic. They rescue her causing Cia to have a change of heart after having been saved by her former enemies. Cia joins forces with them to defeat Dark Cia. After Dark Cia's defeated Cia regains her magic and reveals the one responsible for creating Dark Cia and stealing the Triforce of Power is Phantom Ganon the artificial phantom of Ganondorf from the Era of the Great Sea. The Hyrulean Forces then travel to Phantom Ganon's stronghold in the merged Wind and Earth Temples. Tetra, King Daphnes, Link, Lana, and Cia manage to combine their power to weaken Phantom Ganon allowing the Hyrulean Forces to defeat him.

Lana and Cia reclaim the Triforce of Power and together with Link, and Princess Zelda who arrives after the battle with Impa use it to form the complete Triforce to undo the damage caused by Phantom Ganon causing Tetra, King Daphnes, and parts of the Great Sea to return to their dimension of origin. Afterwards Princess Zelda, Link, and Impa bid Lana and the reformed Cia farewell as they return to the valley of the Seers to both serve as the twin Guardians of Time as well as protect the Triforce of Power which they split between them.

Tetra has an unlockable Zelda recolor of her Standard Outfit part of the Master Wind Waker DLC, called Standard Outfit (Wind Waker).

In addition to both the Hyrule Warriors incarnation of Zelda and Tetra, Ghost Zelda who is designated as Toon Zelda appears as a playable character from the Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks DLC. Toon Zelda fights by possessing a Phantom wielding Phantom Arms and light magic fueled by the Sacred Power of the Spirits. Unlike her grandmother Tetra, Toon Zelda has no role in the story. Additionally, there are several Fairy Clothing options based on her outfit can be unlocked on the Grand Travels Map: Destiny Tiara, Destiny Necklace, Destiny Top, and Destiny Skirt.

Princess Zelda was set to appear in the unreleased game Mystical Seed of Courage. In the game, she was to be the one responsible for managing the four seasons of Hyrule, in a role similar to Din's in Oracle of Seasons. She would be kidnapped by Ganon, which, along with the disappearance of the Rod of Seasons, would cause Hyrule's seasons to go out of control.

CD-i games

Zelda was featured in three games made by a third party for the Phillips CD-i system. In Link: The Faces of Evil (1993), she was kidnapped by Ganon and had to be rescued. In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993) and Zelda's Adventure (1994), Princess Zelda was the main protagonist, as the plot in both games involves Link's kidnapping. The games are generally criticized by fans, although they are noteworthy as the first time Zelda has been a playable character in any game.

Super Smash Bros. series

Zelda appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee (the 2001 sequel to Super Smash Bros), in her adult incarnation from Ocarina of Time. She debuted first as Sheik, and it was later revealed that this was one of the character's two forms. Zelda is one of the most diverse characters in the entire game as she is actually two characters in one, each with its own unique moves, attacks, and fighting style. At any time during play, she can change form to take advantage of the full range of her abilities. This unique gameplay mechanic made her one of the most anticipated characters during the game's pre-release hype.

Initially, the player assumes control as Zelda, although it is possible to start a round as Sheik by holding down the A button following selection of a stage until the round begins. Zelda is somewhat slow but is rather graceful and agile, and her special attacks, if they connect, are extremely powerful—boosted by magic, if the sparkles and flashes of light are any indication. Her aerial movements and dodging skill, as well as her attacks' high priority and strong impact, make her an ideal counter-defensive character. She is very much built for defensive attacking, but her moves leave her very open if timed incorrectly, and if attacked, her gracefulness can work against her. She has a light frame and is easily sent flying.

Zelda's B button attacks lend themselves to this defensive style of play as well. Din's Fire is a long range setup attack allowing the player to control a guided fire "mine," which explodes upon release. Nayru's Love is a crystal shield which not only reflects projectiles, but damages nearby enemies and pushes them away. Farore's Wind is Zelda's third jump, a teleport move which can be directed and has enormous range, but leaves her somewhat vulnerable. If Zelda invokes the teleport while physically touching an enemy character, that character will take damage, but this is very hard to pull off in practice. Fans may remember her three magic attacks as the same ones Link acquired in Ocarina of Time, albeit with quite different applications. Instead of a fourth attack, her final command is the transformation to Sheik.

As Sheik, the character is completely different. Sheik is not only extremely fast, but also easy to control, making her a very popular character both in casual circles and in the tournament scene. Her close range attacks are possibly the fastest and most easily chainable of any character, with her martial arts training allowing fluid and swift ninja-like attacks. Sheik is at her best when using her speed and high-momentum attacks for an evasion-based "hit-and-run" offense. Her needle throwing attack is extremely flexible, and can be used to start combos or keep the enemy at bay. Her chain whip, while situational, is an excellent way to sabotage an opponent's strategy by interrupting their movements. Her Deku Nut-concealed vanish move is shorter than Farore's Wind but leaves Sheik much less open to attack, and is easier to use as an attack as well.

The instruction booklet and in-game trophies refer to Sheik as a female; it is also interesting to note that Sheik's poses and general body form in Super Smash Bros. Melee are considerably more feminine than those in Ocarina of Time. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Zelda and Sheik are voiced by Jun Mizusawa.

Although Zelda's design is now based off of her appearance in Twilight Princess, she retains her Sheik transformation. As Sheik, game director Masahiro Sakurai states that her updated character design is based on a potential design made in the early drafting stages of Twilight Princess. This version of Sheik now carries a small blade at the waist and sports longer hair in the back, tied in a similar style to her Princess Zelda form. Interestingly enough, Sheik's hair remains blonde, while Princess Zelda's updates to light brown per her Twilight Princess appearance. As Nintendo established via Sheik's trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee that the Sheik disguise was a magical costume change, the magic could presumably explain the hair color as well.

The changes to Zelda's move set in this game were mostly balancing issues. Essentially, Zelda was powered up, with several of her moves being made more powerful and easier to execute. This can be seen in Din's Fire, which is substantially more powerful than in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and in several of Zelda's Smash Attacks, which literally "stop time" for a moment before sending the opposing character flying off the screen. She retains her massively powerful "Lightning Kick" from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Sheik's attacks, meanwhile, were made weaker but faster.

Zelda and Sheik both have the same Final Smash: the Light Arrow. The Light Arrow is a powerful attack that inflicts heavy damage in a straight line originating from Zelda or Sheik. When Zelda uses the attack, it sends anyone it hits in a more upward direction that Sheik's version.

Supposedly, the development team of Super Smash Bros. Brawl was originally going to create a Toon Zelda/Toon Sheik character as well, but the idea was abandoned.

In the game's story mode, "The Subspace Emissary", Zelda is watching a match between Mario and Kirby alongside Princess Peach. When the flying battleship Halberd appears over the stadium, both princesses join Mario and Kirby in fighting off the enemies that emerge from it. After the fight, Mario is blown out of the stadium, and Zelda and Peach are captured by Petey Piranha, one of Mario's enemies. Kirby fights Petey to rescue the princesses, but can only save one of them (the player can choose which one). The other princess is turned into a trophy by Wario, and Kirby escapes with the rescued princess as the entire stadium is pulled into Subspace by a Subspace Bomb.

The rescued princess journeys alongside Kirby until she is attacked and turned into a trophy by Bowser, who uses a swarm of Shadow Bugs to create a clone of the princess. If the princess is Zelda, the clone tries to attack Link and Yoshi, but is intercepted and destroyed by Mario and Kid Icarus hero Pit. Link notices the battle just in time to see what appears to be Zelda's trophy dissolve into nothing, and attacks Mario and Pit in a rage.

Zelda and Peach are taken onto the Halberd, but are rescued when Metal Gear protagonist Solid Snake infiltrates the ship and defeats another pair of clones. Snake insists that the princesses stay were they are, but Peach and Zelda (who dons her Sheik disguise for the first time in the game, but can transform back to Zelda during the level) instead make their way to the upper deck of the ship, which has come under attack by Star Fox protagonist Fox McCloud. When Peach gets trapped in the crossfire, Sheik teleports into the air and directly attacks Fox's Arwing, forcing him to eject. Peach stops them before they can fight hand-to-hand. As they are joined by Snake and the Pokémon Lucario, a group of Mr. Game & Watches are forcibly ejected by Meta-Knight, who had infiltrated the Halberd with Lucario to take his ship back. The Game & Watches merge into the boss Duon, which is defeated by the heroes. Duon turns back into a single Mr. Game & Watch, who is befriended by Peach. The various heroes subsequently unite to launch an attack on the Subspace Realm from which the attacks have been originating.

Zelda is featured on four stickers. Two of these are titled "Young Zelda," while the other two are simply titled "Zelda." The first two depict artwork of Zelda as a child from Ocarina of Time and The Minish Cap, and provide a +20 bonus to electric attacks and a +16 bonus to battering resistance, respectively. The latter can only be used by Link, Toon Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. The two stickers titled "Zelda" depict artwork of Zelda from A Link to the Past and of her adult form from Ocarina of Time. The former grants a +27 bonus to magic attacks and, like all other stickers that grant bonuses to magic attacks, can only be used by Zelda and Peach. The latter grants a +18 bonus to flame resistance and can only be used by Link, Toon Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf.

Princess Zelda returns as a playable character in the fourth installment of Super Smash Bros. Zelda's appearance is once again based on her Twilight Princess design. She can no longer transform into Sheik, as she is her own character now. Her move set and Final Smash is largely the same as in Brawl. However her ability to transform is replaced by the Phantom Slash, where she summons a Phantom Knight straight from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks to block enemy attacks and projectiles.

In the 3DS version Trophies for Princess Zelda and Ghost Zelda from Spirit Tracks, as well as Trophies for Young and Adult Zelda from Ocarina of Time 3D. In the Wii U version, there is a Trophy of Princess Zelda from The Wind Waker and Hooded Zelda from Twilight Princess.

Princess Zelda returns as a playable character in the fifth installment of Super Smash Bros. Her appearance is now based on her design from A Link Between Worlds, since Masahiro Sakurai and the developers felt her Breath of the Wild incarnation was more suited to research than combat. In the Japanese trailer, however, it lists the basis of her appearance as being Triforce of the Gods, or A Link to the Past. Her move set is largely the same as previous games with some adjustments. However, Zelda's Final Smash has changed from the Light Arrow to the Triforce of Wisdom, which will trap opponents inside the titular Triforce piece for huge damage.

New Nintendo 3DS Commercial

Zelda also appeared in a commercial for the New Nintendo 3DS. Interestingly, in the commercial, she is depicted wearing casual clothing.

A set of Legend of Zelda cartoons aired on Fridays from 1989 to 1990 as a part of DiC's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. The series loosely follows the NESZelda games, mixing settings and characters from them with original creations. Zelda is depicted as a warrior princess who wears more comfortable and practical garb as opposed to her appearances in the games. In addition to running the kingdom part-time for her father, King Harkinian, she often accompanies Link on his adventures and is quite skilled in archery (interestingly archery is a skill that Zelda would later demonstrate in various video games).

Zelda Trough Legs

In the Doppelganger episode, Zelda and Link battle an evil clone Zelda created by a mirror cursed by Ganon.

The series portrays an overt romantic relationship between the two protagonists. Link is always begging Zelda for a kiss; however, even when she agrees to indulge him, it never occurs. They are interrupted by monsters, or Spryte, or any number of unfortunate circumstances. It is directly revealed that Zelda loves Link in one episode, and there is no doubt of their romantic relationship in this series. Thirteen of these cartoons were produced before the cancellation of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Princess Zelda was voiced by Cynthia Preston in the cartoon.

Featuring characters and settings from the TV series, this fleetingly entertaining comic only ran for four issues. Although Zelda's feelings for Link are made quite clear, there is another element at play here: her duty to the Triforce, which must come before her own needs and desires. When Link is corrupted by the Triforce of Power in one story, this Zelda briefly possesses his Triforce of Courage, which will not reside with one who uses Power without Wisdom.

Stories from a number of Zelda games have been adapted into manga in Japan. These official publications greatly expand parts of their respective games' backstories. As of Autumn 2008, these manga are being re-released in English in the United States.

Other References

Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition

Princess Zelda's robes appears as an alternate outfit for Nina Williams in the Wii U Edition of Tekken Tag Tournament.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

Princess Zelda's Standard Robes from the Hyrule Warriors series appear as an alternate outfit for Miu Hinasaki.

Alter egos

Sheik

Sheik is Princess Zelda's Sheikah alter ego in Ocarina of Time. Wearing a blue, possibly armored suit with the red Sheikah eye in the center, and with voice muffled and face concealed, the character is essentially unrecognizable and appears relatively masculine. It is possible that Zelda utilizes her magical skills in altering her appearance. Sheik plays a lyre and teaches Link new songs to help him on his quest. When Link arrives at the Temple of Time near the end of the game, Sheik transforms back into Princess Zelda.

Although Sheik is intended to appear masculine, it is unclear whether Princess Zelda physically transforms herself into a male or simply dresses herself to look like one. When Link encounters Princess Ruto in the Water Temple, Ruto explains, "A young man named Sheik rescued me from under the ice". Later, when Link obtains the Water Medallion, Ruto asks, "If you see Sheik, please give him my thanks". Additionally, a Gossip Stone in the Hyrule Castle Grounds says, "They say that contrary to her elegant image, Princess Zelda of Hyrule Castle is, in fact, a tomboy!"

Sheik is a playable character in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as Zelda's transformation. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U Sheik is treated as a separate character and no longer acts as a transformation.

In the noncanonical Ocarina of Time manga, author Himekawa Akira depicts Zelda requesting her true identity be sealed. Impa then actually transforms Zelda into a male, adding some controversy as to the exact nature of Zelda's Sheik transformation. Sheik also depicted as Zelda's alter-ego and a playable character in Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends

Regardless of debate, Nintendo has given their answer in an interview from Polygon published August 5, 2014. The quote from the article: "Nintendo's official line, quoted from Nintendo senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen, is this: 'The definitive answer is that Sheik is a woman — simply Zelda in a different outfit.'"

Tetra

Tetra is Zelda's alter ego from The Wind Waker, an accomplished sailor and pirate captain. Orphaned at a young age, she commands the utmost respect of her pirate crew due to her leadership and her strength through hardship. Tetra can be impatient, mischievous, and rude at times, but possesses a big heart beneath her gruff exterior.

Tetra is skilled with a catapult (or so she assures Link), and it is reasonable to assume she knows how to use the bombs she has her pirate crew steal at one point. As a member of the Royal Family, she can use the Pirate's Charm to communicate with its holder and keep an eye on his doings within a certain range. Curiously, she is much more tan as Tetra than when she assumes her Princess Zelda form. At the end of The Wind Waker, she resumes her identity as Tetra and sets sail with Link in search of the land that will become the New Hyrule. This leads into the events of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.

Relationships

Allies

As pointed out by others, Zelda has many attributes that attracts allies. While not always a stable relationship from the start, she has gained many good friends throughout various games. Most of her friends deeply respect her as the princess of Hyrule and do not doubt her judgment. Her kindness is enough to turn even some of her enemies into allies.

People of Hyrule

Generally Princess Zelda is adored by her subjects and meeting her is considered an honor among them. However, this admiration can occasionally get out of hand as shown in Ocarina of Time, where one of the Twins attempted to sneak into Hyrule Castle Garden to see the young Princess Zelda, but got stuck in the drain hole on the side of the castle on the way and was found by the Hyrulean Royal Guards. This caused security tighten as a result, making it more difficult for the young Hero of Time to sneak into the castle to meet Zelda.

However, the people of Hyrule generally care for her, as she cares deeply for her subjects and has faced the forces of evil many times to protect both her kingdom and subjects. Despite her royal status, Princess Zelda is often implied or shown to treat her people with kindness and respect regardless of their status.

In some games, it is implied that commoners rarely get a chance to meet or let alone catch a glimpse of Zelda, so people have been known to joke about the prospect of meeting her, as Rusl did to Link in Twilight Princess.

In other games, Zelda is more accessible to the common people such as in The Minish Cap and Spirit Tracks, often leaving the castle to mingle with the people of Castle Town. As a result, her absence becomes noticeable when her appearances in Castle Town cease as a result of the events in those games.

In Twilight Princess, following Zelda's surrender to Zant and due to the general ineffectiveness of the Hyrulean Soldiers, Telma formed a Resistance group dedicated to restoring the Kingdom of Hyrule to its glorious self. The Resistance included Zelda's former tutor, Auru, and Ashei, who is revealed to be the daughter of a former Knight who had served the Royal Family in the past. Loyal to both Zelda and the Kingdom, the Resistance members all aid Link (and by extension Midna) in freeing Hyrule. During Link's battles through Hyrule Castle, most of the members (minus Telma and Louise) arrive to assist the hero in fighting Ganondorf's minions, allowing him and Midna to reach the castle throne room.

In Breath of the Wild, most people seem to be aware of Princess Zelda's role in sealing the Great Calamity in Hyrule Castle one hundred years prior. However, it is unclear whether they know that she is still fighting to keep him sealed. One of the travelers Link encounters during his travels is a Hylian woman who is retracing Zelda's journey to the three springs. Moreover, Zelda was spoken of by people who knew her to their descendants, as Toffa reveals his grandfather told him about the Princess and her white horse during "The Royal White Stallion", and inherited from him the Royal Bridle and Royal Saddle which were once used by Princess Zelda one century ago. After completing the quest, Toffa states that his grandfather claimed there was nothing more beautiful than the sight of Princess Zelda riding her horse.

In the Hyrule Warriors Legends, Linkle and her fellow Villagers are the only civilians of Hyrule to appear. After Villagers receive word that Hyrule Castle has been attacked and that Princess Zelda is leading the fight against the invaders, Linkle under the impression that she is the legendary hero, leaves her village to aid Princess Zelda and the struggling Hyrulean Forces. Though she got lost on her way to the castle, Linkle would later join Twili Midna in rescuing Princess Zelda after she went to the Palace of Twilight to stop the flow of Dark Twilight Magic that threated to consume the entire land of Hyrule. Though she managed to rescue Princess Zelda, after seeing Twili Midna's decision to sacrifice her true form to stop the dark magic, Linkle decided to continue on her original journey to Hyrule Castle, rather than joining up with Zelda and Midna. Ultimately this turned out to be the right decision as Linkle after at the ruins of Hyrule Castle shortly after Ganon's defeat, discovering the remnants of his army attacking the battle weary Hyrulean Forces and Impa who stayed behind to defend castle while Zelda and Link returned the Master Sword to its pedestal. Joining in the fight, Linkle and Impa manage to lead the Hyrulean Forces to victory and defened the kingdom in Zelda and Link's absence.

Hyrulean Soldiers

As they are sworn to defend the Kingdom and serve the Royal Family of Hyrule, the Hyrulean Soldiers are loyal protectors to Zelda and her family, along with other groups sworn to serve the royal court such as the Knights of Hyrule and the Sheikah. However, the Hyrulean Soldiers are often depicted as ineffective against the forces of evil that threaten Hyrule, and sometimes have fallen prey to their evil influence. Ironically, they often serve as obstacles preventing Link from meeting Zelda, though mainly due to their ignorance of his status as the legendary hero.

Despite the general ineffectiveness in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, the Hyrulean Soldiers are depicted as willing to serve and defend their Princess, even in the face of death. In fact, one soldier is implied to have died from wounds he received during Ganondorf's attack on Hyrule Castle, though he managed to instruct the young Hero of Time into heading towards the Temple of Time before succumbing to his wounds. In Twilight Princess, the Hyrulean Soldiers are depicted as valiantly defending the Hyrule Castle throne room and Zelda from the Shadow Beasts lead by Zant, though they prove to be no match for the Shadow Beasts. It is also shown that despite their role and willingness to die defending, Zelda generally cares for their well-being as she does for the rest of her people. This is demonstrated by her decision to surrender Hyrule to Zant rather than see them needlessly slaughtered by Zant's minions.

In the Hyrule Warriors series, Princess Zelda acts as the Supreme Leader of the Hyrulean Forces and the Hyrulean Soldiers bravely serve her in much the same way as in Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time. Despite her role as a military commander, she retains the compassion for the soldiers that serve under her but chooses to fight alongside them rather than protected by them. In turn her soldiers are very loyal to her and she can raise their moral with words alone, though this can be a double-edged sword as they become quite demoralized when she goes missing and were it not for the leadership of Link and Impa, the entire Hyrulean Forces may have been defeated by the Dark Forces. Though she later returned to fight alongside them under her guise as Sheik, they did not recognize her (though to be fair neither did Impa) and continued to search for the missing Princess. However they were relived when her identity was revealed and did not hold her deception against her. They also did not abandon her or Hyrule when Ganondorf managed to steal the Triforce of Courage and Triforce of Wisdom and later joined her in invading Gerudo Desert in order to defeat Ganondorf's generals, Zant and Ghirahim. After managing to defeat the villains, Zelda would lead her army to reclaim Hyrule Castle and defeat Ganondorf's Forces. The surviving soldiers would also fight alongside Zelda and her allies in the final battle against Ganon.

Following Ganon's defeat and while Princess Zelda and Link had left to return the Master Sword to its pedestal, the battle weary Hyrulean Soldiers lead by Impa were confronted by the remnants of Ganondorf's army of monsters which took advantage of the situation to attack the ruins of Hyrule Castle. However despite her absence and their exhaustion, the soldiers valiantly defended the kingdom, though Impa later had them retreat in order to rest while she and the newly arrived Linkle engaged the monsters, though they vowed to return once they had regained their strength. True to their word, the soldiers returned to the battlefield and assisted Impa and Linkle by confronting the lesser monsters, allowing Impa and Linkle focused on defeating Dark King Dodongo. The Hyrulean Forces eventually prevailed over the Monster Forces just as their princess was return to the castle with Link.

The relationship Zelda has with Link is close, possibly her closest. A popular theory among fans is that of a romantic relationship between some of the Zelda and Link characters in the Zelda series. Although never explicitly confirmed in a video game title, this theory is based on hints given in the games, interviews with the game creators, and content of the animated series, comics, and manga (although the last three are generally considered non-canonical).

One hint of a romance between Zelda and Link is given at the end of The Adventure of Link, when the awakened Princess apparently kisses Link under the falling curtain.

Some cutscenes in Ocarina of Time featuring the two together have been interpreted as signs of an attraction. While Link and Zelda are escaping Ganon's Castle, Zelda will additionally show her concern for Link by shouting out whenever he is hurt. Moreover, in the game's final scene, Zelda and Link are floating in the sky together, sharing a decidedly sentimental (if not necessarily romantic) moment where Zelda apologies for involving Link in the events of the game and seems saddened by the situation. She also stated that she will not forget the time she spent with him in the Child Timeline as shown in Majora's Mask through Link's memory.

In addition, if the Oracle games are played as sequels to each other, the ultimate ending sequence shows Zelda lightly kissing Link on the cheek. Link swoons while hearts float above the pair's heads, and Zelda looks away, blushing.

In The Wind Waker, when Zelda is asked to stay in hiding in Hyrule Castle while Link restores power to the Master Sword, she waves goodbye to Link, asking him to be careful.

Despite having little interaction with Link in Twilight Princess, Zelda worked flawlessly with him in their horseback battle against Ganondorf, managing to overwhelm the Demon King with their excellent teamwork. When Zelda asked Link for his assistance in defeating Ganondorf, Link offered his hand as a response. It is also thinkable that Link later went to meet her once the events of the story was over, as somewhat hinted in the end credits.

Spirit Tracks features several moments that can be interpreted romantically. Early in the game during the Graduation Ceremony, Zelda walks into the room in front of Link, who is bowing down respectfully. Link then looks up and gasps, blushing at her in amazement. He is then scolded by Chancellor Cole for raising his head without permission. Later, when Zelda's spirit is separated from her body following the first encounter with Chancellor Cole and Byrne, Link is the only one who can see her besides the Lokomos, demonstrating a clear and strong bond between himself and the Princess. After Zelda and Link defeat Byrne in the Tower of Spirits, Byrne, disbelieving, comments that he was beaten by two mortals. Zelda, while still possessing a Phantom, says that when she and Link combine their strength, no one can defeat them. Link turns to her, surprised. The background turns white and Zelda's Lullaby plays as they both laugh and high-five, gazing at each other all the while.

Toward the end of Spirit Tracks, before the final battle against Malladus, Zelda is reunited with her body, and is no longer able to levitate. Link runs underneath her to catch her as she falls, and she lands on top of him and knocks them both to the ground. Upon awakening, Zelda, overjoyed to have her body back, embraces Link, causing him to blush. Finally, after Malladus is defeated, Zelda and Link watch Anjean and Byrne's spirits ascend to the heavens. The camera then lowers to show Zelda and Link holding hands while Zelda's Lullaby plays in the background. After the credits, a short cut-scene shows Zelda gazing at a picture of Link on the Spirit Train with her flying beside him, which she keeps on her desk. She may also wave at Link depending on his answer to a question Zelda asked him during the events of the story.

Skyward Sword has several noticeable romantic moments between Link and Zelda. Early in the story, Zelda wants Link to be the first to see her outfit for the Wing Ceremony. She worries over him and she does not want him to fail at becoming a knight. When Link's Crimson Loftwing is hidden by Groose, Zelda assists Link in finding his Loftwing. After Link wins the Wing Ceremony, Zelda jumps off the ledge and Link catches her almost as if she was expecting him to. She then congratulates him on winning. Afterwards, Zelda mentions that she is very happy to be atop the Statue of the Goddess with him. She also gets extremely close to him and almost implies that the two are to kiss, before she pushes him off the statue. Afterward, Zelda bashfully asks Link to go out flying, which they do. She then tells Link how amazing the day was, and that she would remember it forever.

At the Temple of Hylia, when Zelda states she must seal herself to keep Demise in place, she sheds tears of sadness and states before all this, she was happy just being with Link on Skyloft, demonstrating a deep level of feelings for her childhood friend. Link desperately tries to stop her and when she is sealed, Link lowers his head in sadness, showing his deep feelings for her. Once Link releases Zelda from her sealed state, he runs up and catches her from falling. They both hug and walk out smiling at each other, holding hands, before Ghirahim ruins the tender moment. During the ending, Zelda asks what Link will do now. Link sweetly smiles at her while their Loftwings fly off toward the sky, implying that he chose to stay on the Surface to live with Zelda.

A Link Between Worlds features some gossip told to Link by the Rumor Guy. He tells Link that one of the castle staff had seen Zelda sneaking off every night. When she followed her, she saw Zelda staring at the painting in Hyrule Castle depicting the Link and Zelda from A Link to the Past cuddling with each other, implying they became more intimate with each other. This also hints the Zelda in A Link Between Worlds wants to have a similar relationship with the Link of her time.

Breath of the Wild is notably the first and only game where Link and Zelda held feelings of animosity towards each other, until they learned to open up to one another. Once learning to do so, the two came to genuinely care for one another, with both Hylians refusing to sacrifice each other for their own safety, no matter what peril they may be in. This is to the extent where Zelda unconsciously awoke her powers (despite previously being unable to do so, no matter how hard she tried) by shielding Link from a Guardian`s attack, showing how much he means to her. When Link temporarily died, Zelda wept at his body, lamenting his death. Upon learning from the Master Sword that Link can be revived, Zelda wasted no time rescuing Link, while also deciding to use her newfound powers to hold Ganon at bay.

100 hundred years later, Zelda telepathically speaks to an awakened Link, giving him words of advice. At Hyrule Castle, Zelda aids Link in his battle with Calamity Ganon's second form, Dark Beast Ganon, gifting him with the Light Bow and giving him advice on how to defeat him. After Link hits Ganon's weak spot, Zelda herself appears, freed from her own sealing magic. She then uses her powers to seal away Ganon for good, entrapping him in an explosion of light. As she and Link reunite face-to-face for the first time in a hundred years, she asks him with a smile if he remembers her. At the end of the game, Link and Zelda walk towards their horses to begin their new adventure together. Interestingly, it is revealed by Kass after completing all of his shrine quest riddles, that his mentor had been in love with the princess, yet noticed she "only had eyes for her appointed knight". This hints that Zelda holds deep feelings toward Link, with it being unclear if Link reciprocates these feelings.

The game creators also seem to be fond of the idea of romance between the characters.[2]

Though never directly stated in-game, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed in an interview conducted by Famimaga 64 that Navi is jealous of Princess Zelda and has feelings for Link.[3]

Another less popular theory among fans is that Link and Zelda are related by blood, either as siblings or more distantly. Even though rumors to this effect started with the infamous "Save the Princess... Zelda is your... ... ..." line from A Link to the Past (later reported as a mistranslation), the theory generally revolves around the Link and Zelda from Ocarina of Time.

A possible indication of a blood relation between the two in Ocarina of Time is their physical resemblance: they both have blonde hair, blue eyes, and similar facial features. They also have similarly shaped heads. Graphics limitations could be responsible for some of this similarity, however. Certain dialogue could also be perceived as implying a blood relation: the ghost Sharp comments that Link reminds him of Zelda, and that Link "may have some connection with the Royal Family".[4] Link's connection to the Royal Family is highlighted throughout the game, with Link often playing Zelda's Lullaby to verify it. The fact that Impa agrees to teach an outsider a song only Royal Family members are allowed to know could also be interpreted as a hint at Link's blood relation to Hyrule's Royal Family. [5]

Additionally, Zelda seems to recognize Link's name upon their first meeting.[6] This could be attributed to her prophetic abilities, although the boy in her dreams seemed to be a largely abstract figure, with no defining traits aside from the presence of a guardian Fairy and a Spiritual Stone. This line of dialogue has often been regarded as a sign that the two have met before, although this could only have occurred when Link was a baby per the Deku Tree Sprout's account of Link's coming to Kokiri Forest. It is also worth noting that while the King of Hyrule is clearly identified as Zelda's father, no mention is made of a Queen. Meanwhile, Link's mother is stated to have died shortly after reaching the forest, but no information is given concerning his father. Given these facts, it is possible that Zelda and Link share the same parents, making them siblings.

Impa

In several games, Zelda has a nursemaid named Impa, a faithful servant who is heavily hinted to be largely responsible for raising her and cultivating her abilities. In The Legend of Zelda, Impa is her most trusted servant, the one whom she entrusts with the task of finding a hero to defeat Ganon. In The Adventure of Link, it is Impa who brings Link to the North Castle and recounts the story of the ancient curse on the sleeping Zelda.

The Impa from Ocarina of Time is a survivor of the mysterious Sheikah race. She protects and cares for Zelda, teaching Zelda and Link the ancestral melody known informally as Zelda's Lullaby, and fleeing the castle with Zelda when Ganondorf threatens the Princess in his attempt to enter the Sacred Realm. Impa then teaches Zelda the ways of the Sheikah, allowing her to hide in plain sight for seven years while she awaits Link's return. Impa is eventually revealed to be the Sage of Shadow, who must guard the Shadow Temple. Zelda also showed her care for Impa even in her disguise as she seemed troubled at the possibility of Impa being in danger.

In the Oracle games, Impa is an agent operating in Zelda's employ, sent to the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna to bring the Oracles to safety in Hyrule.

In Skyward Sword, Impa protects Zelda from Ghirahim, following orders from the goddess Hylia. They have gotten close to the point where they had a tearful reunion and farewell after stopping Demise's reign in their proper timeline.

While not too much was revealed, Impa from A Link Between Worlds is apparently Zelda's nursemaid.

In Breath of the Wild, Impa is one of Princess Zelda's closest allies along with her elder sister Purah, and Robbie. Purah herself states this to Link, telling him to talk to Impa about the pictures which Zelda had taken 100 years ago. Zelda was the one who also told Impa to give Link her message to "Free the Divine Beasts", showing that she trusted Impa immensely.

In Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends, Impa is Zelda's faithful servant/protector, general, and advisor. General Impa possesses a samurai-like devotion to Zelda, similar to her Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword incarnations. When Zelda goes missing, Impa is determined to find Zelda and enlists the help of the inexperienced Hero Link to find her. Ironically, Impa is suspicious and distrustful of the mysterious Sheik, mostly due to Sheik claim that she is a Sheikah survivor and member of Impa's tribe. Impa fails to realize Sheik's true identity, until it is revealed following Fake Zelda's defeat. However she knows Zelda character well enough to realize the Princess Zelda causing trouble in the Era of the Hero of Time was nothing more than a fake. She is shown to be visibly relieved when she learns that Princess Zelda had been fighting alongside her and the Hyrulean Forces while disguised as Sheik, despite her deception. After reuniting with the Princess, Impa returns to her role as Zelda's advisor and defender. Though she respects Zelda's judgment, Impa is shown to voice her opinion about the potential consequences, such as when she warned Zelda of the dangers of having Link remove the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of the Sacred Sword in order to defeat Cia. Impa's fears are later realized when the final seal on Ganondorf's soul breaks, though continues to serve Zelda even after Ganondorf obtains the complete Triforce.

Sheikah

Several incarnations of Zelda have ties to the Sheikah through both her connection to the various incarnations of Impa and Zelda's Sheikah alter-ego, Sheik. Interestingly enough, though not a true Sheikah (as Sheik is an alter-ego), Zelda's robes in Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess feature the Sheikah Symbol. In the Oracle series, her robes feature an alternate version of the Sheikah Symbol with the "eye" part of the symbol replaced by a Triforce symbol. in Ocarina of Time, Zelda (in her guise as Sheik) is shown to be knowledgeable of various Sheikah legends, which were presumably told to her by Impa, either during her childhood and/or while they were hiding from Ganondorf. It is also implied that Impa trained Zelda in the secret arts of Sheikah in order to allow her to pass herself off as Sheik and better protect herself from Ganondorf and his minions.

In Breath of the Wild, Princess Zelda is shown to have an interest in ancient Sheikah technology and relied on the assistance of her Sheikah allies Impa, Purah, and Robbie when Link was critically injured during the Great Calamity. For the next century, Impa, Purah and Robbie have continued to dedicate themselves to helping Link until full recovery, in the hope that their assistance will allow him to defeat Calamity Ganon and free Princess Zelda. Even though most of the Sheikah remain loyal to her and the Kingdom of Hyrule, the Yiga Clan are shown to have dedicated themselves to serving Ganon and eliminating any who stand in his way, due to their previous mistreatment by the people of Hyrule.

Some time before the Great Calamity, the Yiga Clan even attempted to assassinate Zelda before she could awaken her sealing magic. They would have succeeded, had it not been for Link`s intervention. After the Great Calamity, with Zelda sealing herself with Ganon in Hyrule Castle, the Yiga Clan focused on hunting down Link and any of Zelda's surviving allies instead.

It is implied heavily that Kass' Sheikah mentor developed unrequited feelings of love for Zelda and was jealous of Link. Unlike Impa, Purah, and Robbie, the poet died before Link awoke and defeated Zelda, thus he never lived to see Zelda again after she was freed from her seal.

While Paya was born after Zelda sealed Ganon in Hyrule Castle, she has heard stories about her from Impa and respected her. Meeting with Link whom Paya found attractive and develops feelings for however, caused her to become slightly jealous of Zelda. Later on Paya comes to accept that while she may never be with Link, she is content with knowing what love for someone feels like, indicating that she dropped any feelings of jealousy towards the princess.

Family

Not much is known about Zelda's family; they are rarely mentioned or seen in-game. The king and the prince who were related to Zelda in The Adventure of Link are never even named—their actions merely provide an explanation for Zelda and the Triforce's conditions. It does seem though, that the King deeply trusted his daughter, as hinted in the prologue. It is also stated that Zelda's brother, despite his actions, did care for his sister and was devastated when he realized what his actions caused to her. The next time any known interaction between Zelda and a member of her family is mentioned is in Ocarina of Time; where the King of Hyrule (who is also Zelda's father) appears as an unseen character. The only thing that is even hinted about their relationship in that game though, is that the King did not seem to take all of his daughter's words seriously, which caused his downfall in the Adult Timeline and Fallen Hero Timeline.

In The Wind Waker, Zelda's (or more precisely Tetra's) relations consist of a deceased mother who previously led her band of pirates, and an ancient ancestor who often takes the form of a talking boat. The pirates of Tetra's crew deeply respect their captain and act as a surrogate family for her. It was also confirmed in Spirit Tracks that Tetra is the grandmother of Zelda in the Japanese script. She was the one who taught Zelda about the Lokomos. It is also hinted in the Fallen Hero Timeline that the Seven Sages in Ocarina of Time are the ancestors of the maidens and sages in A Link Between Worlds. Another significant relationship shown is with King Daltus, father of Zelda in The Minish Cap. When Zelda is turned to stone, he is desperate to find a way to save her. The quest to do so requires Link to communicate with the spirit of another royal ancestor, King Gustaf.

In Skyward Sword, Zelda is shown to have a father known as Gaepora, whom she seems reasonably close to. The two casually interacted with one another when discussing Link's success at the ceremonial race, to which Zelda voiced her worry. In response, Gaepora reminded Zelda of the importance of a rider and Loftwing`s bond with one another, noting Link`s powerful bond with his Crimson Loftwing. He would also continue on to tease Zelda, jokingly referring her as jealous. Somewhat annoyed at her father`s words, Zelda further voices her worries to him. Seeing Zelda slightly agitated, Gaepora notes her change in behavior when concerning Link. Later on, when Zelda goes missing from a mysterious tornado, Gaepora shows great concern for his daughter and asks Link to save her.

The next time where Zelda`s father directly appears is in Breath of the Wild, known as King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.The two had a strained relationship, due to the Queen of Hyrule`s death and Rhoam`s harsh attitude towards Zelda. This is however, largely due to a sense of urgency (brought on by the knowledge of Ganon's return), rather than a form of unfairness. In truth, Rhoam did feel a sense of regret for treating his daughter in such a manner, as well as understanding her pain from losing her mother. Nevertheless, Rhoam did nothing to help ease Zelda`s emotional pain, with it being revealed in Rhoam`s diary that he considered his duties as a king more important than his responsibilities as a father towards Zelda. Although Rhoam eventually began to see the error of his ways, he ultimately lost the chance to reconcile with Zelda, due to the Great Calamity. In contrast with her father, Zelda had a very stable relationship with her mother, whom she loved dearly. According to Zelda`s diary, when Zelda`s mother died, Zelda felt immense grief. This grief is hinted to be one of the main reasons for why Zelda struggled to awaken her powers. Zelda's Diary also revealed that her mother would often smile to her and say "Zelda, my love, all will be well in the end. You can do anything." indicating that her mother believed in her daughter and encouraged her, though Zelda began to doubt her mother's words due to her inability to awaken her powers, despite years of self-training.

Seven Maidens

The Seven Maidens respect her as the princess of Hyrule and were worried for her safety. They urged Link to save Zelda from the evil threatening Hyrule and the people. they also combined their powers with Zelda to assist Link in his battle with their enemies.

Seven Sages

Rather similar to the Seven Maidens in terms to their relationship with Zelda, the Seven Sages from Ocarina of Time seem to see her as their leader. Zelda as Sheik urged Link to save them to the point of sometimes getting directly involved. It is unknown whether they knew her true identity as Zelda especially due to Ruto's claim about her. It is unknown what the Seven Sages from A Link Between Worlds think of Zelda as they did not interact with her.

Lokomos

Because they had a good relationship with Tetra, they also quickly warmed up to her granddaughter Zelda when she asked for their help. They could also for some unexplained reason, see her even in her spirit form. They have stated Zelda's resemblance to Tetra whom they thought was an intelligent person. Even Byrne was moved by Zelda's words as he sacrificed himself to save New Hyrule despite his earlier intentions. Both Link and Zelda in turn were relieved to hear that Byrne was not truly dead. The Lokomos asked the duo to watch the land in there place, showing that they trust their Hylian allies.

Midna

Initially quite hostile and condescending towards Zelda, their relationship was not stable at first. This was to the point where she referred to Zelda as "Twilight Princess", presumably as a way to mock her and the state Hyrule was in. This changed though, when Zelda seemingly sacrificed herself to save Midna's life. This caused Midna to became more respectful and caring towards others.

Towards their battle with Ganon, Midna was the one who completely freed Zelda from Ganon's influence. She then sends Link and Zelda away to safety while sacrificing herself to attack Ganon, showing that she has come to genuinely care for them. After the battle was over with Ganon's defeat, Midna was revived which reassured Link and Zelda. Towards their parting moment, Midna stated to Zelda that "your words are kind, and your heart is true" as she destroyed the Twilight Mirror.

Fi

It was shown that Fi respects Zelda much like how she respects Link. She also cared for Zelda's safety like Link did as shown throughout the adventure. When shown talking to Zelda, Fi initially called her "Hylia, Your Grace" before asking whether she preferred being called Zelda. This was followed with Fi stating that she was pleased to know Zelda is in safe hands. Fi's respect for Zelda is likely the due to Zelda being the reincarnation of her creator, the goddess Hylia.

When the time came for Link to put the Master Sword back in its pedestal, which was said to put Fi in a "eternal slumber" in the process, a saddened Zelda encouraged Link to do so, presumably so Fi can have peace.

Fi's spirit may continue to exist within the Master Sword in Breath of the Wild. Princess Zelda reveals to the Great Deku Tree that the Master Sword told her that her destiny was not finished, it convinced her to seal Calamity Ganon herself. In his vision after removing the sword, Link sees Zelda speaking to the Master Sword as if it was a person. She told the Master Sword that its master (Link) would come for it, like Fi whose spirit slumbers within the sword and refers to Link as "master" in Skyward Sword.

Great Deku Tree

Zelda placing the battle worn Master Sword to its pedestal and under the Great Deku Tree's care in Breath of the Wild

Princess Zelda and the Great Deku Tree are not viewed interacting during the events of Ocarina of Time or The Wind Waker, but the Great Deku Tree seems to be aware of how Zelda's destiny is tied with Link's in Ocarina of Time, and tells Link to seek her out after the defeat of Queen Gohma. However, their interaction is shown in Breath of the Wild, where Zelda appears to have great trust in the ancient tree deity as she entrusts the protection of the Master Sword to him. The Great Deku Tree is concerned about her, and Zelda is comfortable in confiding to him that the Master Sword spoke to her. The Great Deku Tree holds Zelda in great regard, poetically describing her smile as being like the sun and hopes Link can save her in order to see her smile once more. He also politely refused to pass on a message from her to Link, suggesting to Zelda that it would be better if she told him herself, showing that he had faith in Link and Zelda reuniting with each other.

Urbosa

Urbosa seems to care a great deal for the princess, comforting her when she feels like a failure and telling her that she is proud of her dedication towards her people and duty. Zelda appears to be quite at ease around the Gerudo woman as well, resting her head on Urbosa's shoulder while on Vah Naboris.

However Urbosa's Diary reveals that Urbosa has known Zelda for most of her life as the Queen of Hyrule brought the newborn Zelda to Gerudo Town as she and Gerudo Chieftain Urbosa were close friends in addition to being sworn allies. When the Queen died suddenly when Zelda was six, Urbosa attended the state funeral as both Gerudo Chieftain and a friend. However she worried about Zelda to the point a year after the funeral she went to Hyrule Castle to find out how Zelda was coping and even accompanied Zelda to the Spring of Power in place of Zelda's mother who was originally supposed to oversee Zelda's training but her death occured before Zelda began her training. Urbosa watched as Zelda fervently prayed to Hylia in the cold water until Urbosa was forced to pull her out causing Zelda to break down from all the pressure she was under along with her holding in her grief. Urbosa consoled Zelda as she let out all the emotions and grief she had been suppressing. Urbosa was one of the few people who understood the pressure Zelda was under and also was aware of the fact Zelda had been putting on a brave face after her mother's death while in truth grieved her mother's death as much if not more so than Urbosa and her father. Urbosa and Zelda became friends with Urbosa acting as a surrogate mother or aunt figure to Zelda. In addition to Urbosa's hatred of Ganon due to his origins as Ganondorf, Urbosa became a Champion to support Zelda despite her own people and advisers being against it. Urbosa however did her best to assist Link in finding Zelda when she abused Gerudo Town law to allude Link's protection detail and hoped the two would eventually get along showing while she cared for Zelda she did not share Zelda's biased opinion towards Link and likely recognized Zelda resented Link's talent given her struggles to awaken her power which Urbosa witnessed first hand. Like Link, Urbosa was fiercely protective of Zelda as she foiled an assassination attempt by the Yiga Clan and was prepared to kill them though relented when Zelda requested their lives be spared as the Yiga were simply misguided Sheikah angered over their peoples mistreatment in the past. However Urbosa had her soldiers gather intel on the Yiga Clan as they were still servents of Ganon. She was pleased Zelda and Link started getting along after Link had foiled another assassination attempt. As signs of Ganon's imminent return increased, Urbosa feared Zelda would run out of time to awaken her power and chose to pray to the late Queen of Hyrule's spirit instead of Hylia who failed to answer Zelda's prayers indicating Urbosa had more faith in Zelda's mother than Hylia. Additionally Urbosa took up the late Queen's habit of affectionately calling Zelda her little bird.

When Zelda's power failed to awaken on Mount Lanayru, Urbosa told Zelda not to give up hope as she did all she could and noted Mount Lanayru wasn't her last shot as anything could spark her powers to awaken. When Ganon appeared Urbosa initially wanted to take Zelda to safety but Zelda refused wanting to fight alongside her comrades even without her powers which Urbosa did not object to, understanding and respecting Zelda's desire to stand alongside them against Ganon along with her courage and sense of duty. Ultimately Urbosa was correct about Zelda's powers as the spark she spoke of occurred when Zelda selflessly tried to shield the exhausted Link from an attacking Guardian saving Zelda and Link. Even In death, Urbosa continued to support Link and Zelda as a spirit once freed from Thunderblight Ganon's imprisonment.

Riju

Though the Gerudo people had originally been against Urbosa becoming a Champion, after her death and Zelda's sealing of Ganon, they chose to remain loyal to Hyrule and as a result Riju and her bodyguard Buliara aided Link a century later out of respect for Lady Urbosa and Princess Zelda whom through Impa had tasked Link in freeing Vah Naboris. Though Riju had only heard of Zelda through legends, she respected her and the two even share similar backgrounds as Riju lost her mother forcing her to bear the burden of becoming Gerudo Chieftain. Riju even recognized the Sheikah Slate Link carried had belonged to Zelda previously showing she is well informed. Riju however like Zelda ultimately proves herself a capable leader despite her own doubts with Link's help. Presumably after Ganon's defeat, Zelda and Riju would work together to rebuild Hyrule and might even bond over their similar backgrounds.

Royal White Stallion

In Breath of the Wild, Zelda rides a White Stallion commonly ridden by her family as a symbol of their divine right. Though her horse is tame it is implied Zelda treated him poorly as she notes to Link she felt that he had to earn the privilege to wear all the Royal Gear. However Link advised her on how to soothe her mount which improved Zelda's relationship and bond with her horse. In an attempt to be more empathetic Zelda equipped her horse with the Royal Gear which she was pleased to discover he wore like a true natural and thanked Link for his advice while riding on Safula Hill. According to local legend, her horse fled to Safula Hill after the fall of Hyrule Castle presumably due to the fond memories it had there of its mistress and the clear view it gave of Hyrule Castle where Zelda sealed herself with Ganon. Toffa implies Zelda's Horse fathered offspring and that the White Horse Link finds their is the grandchild of Zelda's Horse. Zelda is shown riding a White Horse after Ganon's defeat though it is unclear if her original horse was revived/perserved by Malanya or if its the horse Toffa believes to be its descendant.

Etymology

Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that Zelda's name was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald. The name Zelda is generally believed to be Germanic in origin, meaning "gray fighting maid" or "woman warrior" and derived from the Old German Griselda ("dark battle").[7] Another possible origin is the Old English word selde ("companion").[8] Additionally, it is a Yiddish name meaning "happiness" or "luck".

It is noteworthy that Zelda's name can be associated with the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, delta, which is shaped triangularly like the Triforce: the Dhimotiki (modern Greek) word for δέλτα (delta) is dhelda (pronounced IPA /ðel.da/), which is typically transliterated to katakana as zeruda.

References

^Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. “Kass: Though he must have known it was doomed to be unrequited, my teacher fell in love with her. But the princess herself only had eyes for her escort, her own knight attendant.”

^From an interview with Eiji Aonuma, the director of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess:

Interviewer:We have received several emails in which our readers ask: Will Zelda and Link ever be involved (romantically)? [laughs] I'm sorry, but we had to ask.

Eiji Aonuma:[laughs] Good question. Well, as you already know, we are now dealing with a teenage Link, and as you know, teenagers are very emotional beings, so there are definitely possibilities of seeing Link showing his feelings towards the princess. But honestly, we don't know what the future holds.

Miyamoto:If it was Princess Zelda, it would be great. However, this time Navi [the fairy] is jealous of Zelda. So within the story, Navi feels something for Link.

^Sharp: GYAAAAH! I'M DEAD AGAIN! What? You again? Somehow, you remind me of...Princess Zelda...Hmm... Since you may have some connection with the Royal Family, I will tell you a little more of our tale.

^Impa: The song I just taught you has mysterious power. Only Royal Family members are allowed to learn this song. Remember, it will help you to prove your connection with the Royal Family.